Fuel saving device for internal combustion engines



FUEL SAVING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Dec. 21, 1943. A. 1.. CQNDOSTA Filed June 27, 1941 WELL-r612 Ink -m3 n/1mm Patented Dec. 21, 1943 FUEL SAVIN G DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Albert Lee Condosta, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Application June 27, 1941, Serial No. 400,109

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in fuel saving devices for internal combustion engines, and has for an object to provide a device for closing off the fuel mixture supply from the carbureter when the engine or motor is operating without the requirements for such fuel mixture, as for instance when the vehicle is descending a grade and the engine driven by the momentum or inertia of the moving vehicle.

It is another object of the invention to economize on gasoline or other fuel used in internal combustion and other engines or motors by the provision of means, preferably in association with the conventional throttle valve, for completely suspending the supply of fuel to the engine except where the requirements of the engine for such fuel are mandatory, as in the case where the engine is driving the vehicle, or when the engine is running within the idling range of speed.

A further object of the invention resides in accomplishing the above described purposes in simple and inexpensive ways which involve little or no departures from standard construction and operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

In the drawing, in which like parts are denoted by the same reference characters throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through the intake pipe of a standard internal combustion engine construction showing my improved fuel saving device in connection therewith in an idling position.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the device in the completely closed position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the standard throttle valve in the open position.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the throttle valve with the supplemental valve removed and the supplemental valve stem shown in section.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of an intake pipe with the modified form of device illustrated in connection therewith, and

Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 7-? in Figure 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, and for the present to that form of invention shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, I0 designates adjusting nut I1 the conventional standard down-draft intake pipe, commonly used on automobiles at the present time for conveying the fuel mixture from the carburetor above down to the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine below such pipe section I0, all as indicated in Figure 1.

In the pipe I0 is located the usual butterfly throttle valve I I carried by an operating shaft I2 to which it is removably attached, as by the screws I3 or other appropriate fastenings.

In accordance with the invention the throttle valve II carries a supplemental valve I4, which will preferably be a thin wafer of stream-lined form carried upon a valve stem I5 which is slidable through the butterfly throttle valve I I with the supplemental valve I 4 in position to open and close ports it through the throttle valve.

As shown in Figure 5 these ports I6 are four in number and distributed concentrically around the axis of the valve stem 1 5, but these ports may be in any suitable numbers and of any suitable form and located in any desired arrangement provided the same are susceptible of being governed by the wafer head Id of the supplemental valve. The ports 16 may be countersunk if whistling is encountered.

The valve stem I5 is threaded at an intermediate portion thereof, it being understood that the portion adjacent the supplemental valve I4 is smooth where it slides through throttle valve H. An adjusting nut H is threaded on the intermediate threaded portion of the valve stem I5 in spaced relation to the supplemental valve I4 in position to encounter the underside of the throttle I I to limit and restrict the upward opening movement of the valve I4.

A jamb or look not I 8 is threaded on the intermediate threaded portion of the valve stem' I5 below the adjusting nut I! for the purpose of preserving the adjustment of nut ii and preventing such nut i! from rotating about the valve stem I5 incident to the jarring and vibration to which such devices are subject in the ordinary travel of the vehicle, and which jarring and vibration would be apt to cause movement of the adjusting nut 11, which would destroy the adjustment.

It will be understood that the position of the in relation to the supplemental valve I4 and throttle it will control the degree of the opening movement of the suppiemental valve It; in other words will control the port area.

Coiled about the valve stem I5 at the lower rotational tation of the nut 20 about the valve stem l5 such as would accidentally disturb the adjust,

ment or load imposed upon spring H9. The spring I9 is confined between the adjusting nut pressing the spring at its upper end and an open stirrup 2! at" its lower end which is perforated to slidingly and guidingly receive the lower ,unthreaded plain cylindrical end portion of the valve stem l5. The stirrup 2| may be carried by the un-f derside of the throttle valve H in any suitable as for instance by welding. The stirrup is W y. open at its sides as shown in Figure l to permit the free flow of the carbureted air downwardly past the throttle valve and into the intake manifold.

The operation of this form of is as follows:

In Figure 1 the parts are shown in the idling range of speed of the internal combustion engine, in which it will be seen that I depart from standard practice by biasing the standard throttle valve II to a completely closed position. This can be easily effected by the throttle valve adjustment found in connection with standard installations.

At the same time, as shown in Figure 1, the supplemental valve It is biased to an open position by the spring l9. Thus when the driver of the vehicle removes his foot from the accelerator, the throttle valve II will seek a completely closed position, differing from the merely partially closed position assumed by the throttle valve in the idling range according to the present standard practice. Idling volume of fuel is supplied to the engine through the open ports 16 so long as the supplemental valve l4 remains in its open position. The open position of valve I4 is dependent upon the operation of the internal combustion engine within an idling range of speed. As soon as the engine exceeds in speed this idling range, the degree of vacuum created by the engine in that side of the intake pipe below the throttle valve II, will be influential to close the supplemental valve l,'WhiCh position is shown in Figure 2. In other words the supplemental valve I4 is subjected to the dif-. ferential pressures existing in the intake pipe I 0 at opposite sides of the throttle valve H. The strength of the spring l9 and its adjustment as to load provided by the nut 28 are selected with a view to resisting vacuum pressures in the intake manifold created by engine operation of a character and kind that exist in the idling range speed of the engine to the end that the supplemental valve I4 will be kept open. at all times where fuel mixture is necessary to engine operation as wherethe vehicle is standing motionless declutched and with the accelerator in initial position. This will prevent stalling of the motor.

However, when coasting down hill where the rear wheels of the vehicle are driving the motor and the accelerator is in initial position fuel mixture is a non-essential. The momentum gathered by the vehicle in going down long hills results in driving the motor at speeds in excess of the idling range, causing the motor to draw the invention in large amounts of the fuel mixture, which is subsequently without doing any useful work blown out the exhaust pipe and muffler into the surrounding atmosphere where its fumes often become a nuisance. When such excess speeds over normal idling range occur in the motor by operation of the rear vehicle wheels or otherwise the degree of the vacuum in the intake manifold will overcome the action of the spring 19 and cause the supplemental valve M to close, as shown in Figure 2, at the same time coml9 to a potential position in readiness to react in opening the supplemental valve l4 so soon as the condition of vac- 'uum in the intake manifold falls below a predetermined value.

When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 2 all access of fuel or fuel mixture to the motor is completely out off by first the completely closed position of the throttle valve H,

which involves a departure from standard practice, and secondly by the closure of the supplemental valve l4 which is normally biased to an open position. such circumstances the motor will be required to act as a brake, having improved braking properties. Also when the degree of the vacuum in the motor exceeds a predetermined maximum, air from the outside atmosphere may be drawn through the exhaust pipe and caused to automatically open the spring closed exhaust valves thus gaining entrance to the cylinders to avoid excessive vacuum conditions. At the same time this external air will cool the exhaust valves.

In Figure 3 the normal operation of the throttle valve is shown by accelerator action, indicating no interference from the supplemental valve and its assembly.

Referring more particularly to Figures 6 and '7, I have herein shown a modified form of the device in which Ill represents the intake pipe. As shown in Figure '7 the intake pipe is of preferably an elongated or elliptical form to accommodate a throttle valve ll of a complemental elongated or elliptical form. The throttle valve is carried in the usual way by a rock shaft I 2 which projects to the exterior of the intake pipe Ill As best seen in Figure 7, the connection of the throttle valve to its shaft l2 is at one side of the center of the throttle valve. In other words the throttle valve is eccentrically mounted upon the shaft l2 which provides sections of unequal area of the throttle valve at opposite sides of the axial line of the shaft I2 The larger area section is indicated at 22 and is the downwardly closing section as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 6.

On that portion of the rock shaft lZ which extends to the outside of the intake pipe Ill is loosely mounted a sleeve 23 having an upstanding lug 24 adjacent the intake pipe. This lug is internally threaded to receive adjustably the external threads on an idling adjusting pin or screw 25 which follows the customary installation practice. The free end of this screw 25 engages an abutment 21 projecting out from the intake pipe Ili Projecting downwardly from the outer part of the sleeve 23 is an accelerator arm 23 adapted to be connected through the usual connections to the accelerator treadle in the drivers compartment of the vehicle. Adjacent the acelerator arm 28 is a second arm 29 carried by the sleeve 23. Such arm 29 carries at its outer end a threaded rod 30 having a head 3| for engaging beneath the angularly turned Under free end of the arm 29. A nut 32 threaded on the rod 30 engages the other side of the arm 29. The rod 38 is threaded only through an intermediate portion of its length, it being smooth and plain at its upper portion which engages slidingly through a slot in the angularly turned free end of the arm 33 on the throttle shaft l2 which projects through a slot 36 of the sleeve 23 and has angular movement in such slot 36. A coil spring 34 wound about the rod 30 engages arm 33 at its upper end and an adjusting nut 35 at its lower end which is threaded on the threaded portion of the rod 30.

The operation of this form of the invention is as follows:

By means of the throttle adjusting device 25, the throttle valve I I is biased to a position which is not completely closed; which follows the standard practice in allowing a restricted opening in the intake pipe for the drawing therethrough by the engine of sufficient fuel mixture to cause idling speed operation within its predetermined range.

However, as soon as the engine, exceeding idling range speed, builds up a greater-than-normal vacuum condition in the intake manifold, the greater differential pressure on the carbureter side of the throttle valve ll will react against the upper side of the downwardly closing greater-area half portion 22 of the throttle valve to cause complete closing of such throttle valve and the consequent complete suspension of fuel mixture to the engine. This complete closure of the throttle valve is against the load of the spring 34 as (viewing Figure 6) counterclockwise rotation of throttle valve and its shaft l2 causes angular lowering of arm 33 with respect to its companion arm 29 which is held stationary owing to adjusting screw 25 engaging abutment 27. The load of spring 34 may be adjusted to any value desired to secure complete closing of throttle valve under any conditions of vacuum obtaining in the motor incident to variable momentum speeds thereof.

The above operations do not interfere with accelerator control which is had by the angular shifting of the accelerator arm 28. In opening the throttle valve this arm 28 moves clockwise in Figure 6 carrying therewith as a unit the entire assembly including the complemental arms 29, 33, the rod 30 and the spring 34 and at the same time moving the screw 25 away from the abutment 21. When the foot is removed from the accelerator treadle the parts return in the counterclockwise direction until arrested in their angular movements by the impingement of screw end 25 against abutment 21, which causes the throttle valve to be drawn up in a partially cracked position to allow idling mixture to pass through the intake pipe.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fuel saving device for internal combustion engines in which a throttle valve biased and adjusted to a near-closed position controls the supply of fuel to the engine, characterized by a larger-area section of the throttle valve exposed to the suction of the engine of such a nature that suction demands of the engine in excess of those developed at idling range act upon such section to completely close the throttle valve, and means biasing said section to a normally open position.

2. In a fuel saving device for internal combustion engines in which a throttle valve controls the supply of fuel to the engine, characterized by an eccentric pivotal mounting for the throttle valve to expose a larger-area section thereof to the suction of the engine to cause such suction when developed beyond idling speeds to completely close the throttle valve, adjusting means for the throttle valve to yieldably arrest the throttle valve when near closed, a lost-motion connection between the throttle valve and said adjusting means, and resilient means for distending the lost motion connection and resisting the complete closing of the throttle valve.

3. In a fuel saving device for internal combustion engines, a throttle valve, an operative shaft therefor secured to one side of the center of the throttle valve, a slotted sleeve loosely received about the shaft, complemental arms fixed respectively to the sleeve and shaft, said shaft arm movable angularly with respect to the sleeve arm through the slot in the sleeve, a rod carried by one arm and slidable with respect to the other arm, spring means carried by said rod to force the arms yieldably apart, an adjusting device for the spring on the rod, an accelerator connection to said sleeve, 2. lug on the sleeve, a throttle idler adjusting screw threaded in the lug, and a fixed abutment for engagement by the screw.

ALBERT LEE CONDOSTA. 

